Combination cigarette case



ynited States Patent Daniel T. Rushlow 4194 Biddle St., Wayne, Mich. 48184 [21] Appl. No. 817,869

[22] Filed Apr. 21,1969

[45 Patented Dec. 29, 1970 [72] inventor [54] COMBINATION CIGARETTE CASE 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.8. C1 206/38, 206/4534 51 1 1m. Cl ..A45c 15/00, B65cl 25/54 [50] Field of Search 206/38, 38V, 41D, 45.31, 45.34, 44.1 1; 220/20, 82; 40/312, 313; 229/16(Display) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,185,831 6/1916 Riuotto 220/82 2,117,140 5/1938 Bowen 206/38(UX) 2,644,259 7/1953 Beadle 40/312 Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney-Charles W. Chandler ABSTRACT: A cigarette case having a transparent wall for displaying a photograph or the like.

. PATENTEU UECZS I970 INVENTOR DANIEL T- RUSHLOW M BY M COMBINATION CIGARETTE CASE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to cigarette cases, and more particularly to such a case which is also employed for carrying and displaying a photograph or the like.

Cigarettes are commonly carried by smokers in a case to prevent the cigarettes from being broken before they are consumed. The prior art shows that it is old to provide such a case with a compartment for a sheet insert suchas a card or the like. One such combination case was disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,410,987 to G. G. Mevi. 1

A problem with combination cigarette cases of the prior art is that the card compartment, if not isolated from the cigarettes, tends to receive tobacco particles through the opening which receives the card.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The broad purpose of the present invention is to provide a combination cigarette case having an internal compartment for storing cigarettes, a pocket for receiving a sheet insert such as a photograph, calendar, or the like, and a transparent wall for displaying the insert. 1

The preferred case has an opening for receiving both the cigarettes and the insert, and a transparent wall. A backing member, disposed behind the transparent wall to form an internal pocket, has a pair of tabs along its upper edge that mate with a pair of slots in the wall of the case. The tabs are removable from the slots in order to either open the pocket, or to allow removal of the backing member. When received in the slots, the tabs form a closed pocket that prevents tobacco or other similar particles from passing to positions between the insert and the transparent wall where they would tend to detract from the displayed material.

In, addition to a relatively simple, economical construction, the preferred case is formed of a suitable plastic'that provides an attractive display container for the insert. These and other advantages will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon reference to the following detailed description. I

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The description refers to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a combination cigarette case illustrating the preferred embodimentof my invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the cover of the case removed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred backing wall;

FIG. 4 is a side, sectional view showing how the backing wall forms an internal pocket; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the manner in which the case cover is retained in its closed position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Now referring to the drawing, a preferred combination cigarette case is illustrated in FIG. 1 as comprising a hollow casing 12 and a cover 14. The casing 12 and cover 14 are formed of a suitable plastic material, and each has a plurality of decorative stars 16 fixed on their outer surfaces in an attractive arrangement.

The casing 12 is generally tubular in configuration, and has a closed bottom 18, and a top opening 20. The top opening 20 is suited for receiving a package of cigarettes (not shown) to a stored position in the casing. The height of the'casing 12 is chosen to accommodate a package of what is commonly known as king size"'cigarettes. By placing a suitable spacer (not shown) in the bottom of the casing, it can be easily adapted for storing a package of regular size cigarettes.

The top of the casing 12, about the opening 20, has a reduced diameter fonning a shoulder 22. The cover 14 is seated on the shoulder 22 in order to close the top opening 20, as is best shown in FIG. 5 the casing 12 has six buttons 24 which are formed adjacent the top opening 20. The cover 14 has six slots 26 (only two shown) each of which receives a button 24 when the cover is seated on the shoulder 22. The buttons 24 and the slots 26 cooperate in releasably retaining the cover 14 in its closed positionso that it .can be removed from the opening 20 only by a deliberate elfort by the user. Each slot 26 is covered by a star 16 which also reinforces the cover in the area in which the slot is formed. j

One wall of the casing 12 has a rectangular opening 28 which functions as a window. As best shown in FIG. 4 a transparent sheet 30 is disposed in the casing 12 to close the opening 28 and to form a transparent wall. The casing 12 also has a pair of ribs 32 (only one shown) on its opposed inner side walls which extend from the closed bottom 18 a portion of the height of the casing. Theribs 32 are parallel to the transparent sheet 30, and slightly spaced behind the sheet 30. v

A backing wall 34 is disposed between the transparent sheet 30 and the ribs 32. The backing wall 34 has a width that substantially corresponds to the distance between the opposed sidewalls of the casing 12 and a height that is slightly less than that of the casing. The ribs 32 are disposed in the casing to support the backing wall in a position in which it forms a thin pocket 36 behind the transparent sheet 30. The pocket 36 provides means for disposing a sheet insert 38 in a display position such that portions of the insert are visible through the transparent sheet 30. The insert may be a photograph, a label, a card or the like.

The backing wall 34 provides a barrier between the pocket 36 and that portion of the casing in which the cigarettes are stored. The backing wall 34, as well as the insert 38, are both removable from their positions between the ribs 32 and the sheet 30 through the top opening 20. This structure provides an important advantage in that it allows the user to easily remove the insert 38 from the casing even though it is disposed in a relatively thin pocket. The difficulty of removing the insert from a pocket that has both walls integrally joined to the casing is obviated, particularly for those situations in which the insert is small compared to the size of the pocket.

' A pair of tabs 40 are carried along the top' edge of the backing wall 34. The casing 12 has a pair of slots 42 adjacent the top opening 20, each slot being formed to receive a tab 40. When the tabs 40 are mated with the slots 42, the entire marginal edge of the backing wall 34 is in contact with the casing 12 to substantially seal the pocket 36 from the remainder of the casing interior.

The backing wall 34 is resiliently formed such that the tabs 40 are biased toward the slots 42. The height of the ribs 32 allows the upper edge of the backing wall 34 to be separated from the inner casing surface toward an open position, illustrated in phantom at A in FIG. 4, in which the tabs 40 are removed from their respective slots 42. In this open position, the backing wall 34 opens the pocket 36 for the insertion of the sheet insert 38 and provides an edge for gripping the wall 34 in order to remove it from the casing.

Thus the preferred backing wall'34 supports the insert 38 in itsdisplay position behind the transparent sheet 30. In addition, the backing wall 34 is removable from the casing to allow removal of the insert from its display position. Furthermore, the backing wall 34 has tabs which cooperate with slots in the casing for sealing the pocket 36 from loose tobacco particles.

b. a cover mounted on the casing to close the top opening the cover being removable from the top opening to allow the passage of cigarettes there through; and

l c. a backing wall removably disposed in the casing adjacent the transparent wall to form a pocket for receiving a sheet insert passed through the top opening to a display position in which the insert is viewable through the transparent wall, the backing wall having a tab received by the tab-receiving structure to close the pocket and block passage of the contents of the stored position of the cigarettes into the pocket, the tab being releasable from the tab-receiving structure to allow passage of said sheet insert through the top opening into the pocket.

2. A cigarette case as defined in claim 1, in which the casing has a second opening, and said transparent wall comprises a transparent sheet disposed in the second opening.

3. A cigarette case as defined in claim 1, in which the casing has a substantially uniform rectangular cross section.

4. A cigarette case as defined in claim 1, including structure on the casing engaged with the cover to retain it in its closed position.

5. A cigarette case as defined in claim 1, in which the casing has rib structure supporting the backing wall such that a portion thereof can be moved in a direction normal to the transparent wall to disengage the tab from the tab-receiving structure.

6. A cigarette case as defined in claim 1, in which the backing wall is removable from its position in the casing in which it forms said pocket by a motion parallel to the transparent wall.

7. A cigarette case for carrying cigarettes and a sheet insert comprising: I

a. casing having a top opening for receiving cigarettes to a stored position, and a sheet insert to a display position, the casing having a transparent wall for viewing the insert in said display position, rib structure and a tab-receiving opening adjacent the transparent wall;

b. a backing wall removably disposed in the casing for supporting the insert in its display position, the backing wall being engaged with the rib structure so as to be removable from the casing only by a motion parallel to the transparent wall, and having a tab received in the tab-receiving structure to prevent removal of the backing wall from a position in which it forms a pocket for the insert in the casing and blocks passage of the contents of the remainder of the casing from the pocket, the tab being releasable from the tab receiving structure to allow removal of the backing wall; and

c. a cover mounted on the casing to close the top opening, the cover being removable there from to allow the passage of the insert and the cigarettes through the top opening.

8. A cigarette case as defined in claim 7, in which the tabreceiving structure comprises an opening in the casing.

9. A cigarette case as defined in claim 7, in which the rib structure is formed to allow a portion of the backing wall to be moved in a direction normal to the transparent wall but to prevent other portions from being moved in such a direction at such times as they are engaged with the rib structure. 

